Children North East are thrilled to announce that they have received Awards from both the Northumberland and Tyne and Wear High Sheriffs, in recognition of ‘great and valuable services to the community’. 

Presented to the charity in March, the Awards also ‘recognise the appreciation of the residents of each High Sheriff’s county for activity and contribution in enhancing life of the community’. A High Sheriff is a Royal appointed role, who acts as a voluntary ambassador for their local communities for a year. This year the post was held by James Royds in Northumberland and David Bavaird in Tyne and Wear. 

The Awards were judged on a range of categories, including your experience, how you meet the needs of your community and how ‘open to everyone’ the services you provide are. 

Leigh Elliott, Chief Executive at Children North East, commented, “We are very proud to be recognised by these prestigious Awards in both Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. They are testament to the incredible hard work of our teams delivering services in communities across the region, who go above and beyond to provide life-changing help and work hard to understand the communities they serve.” 

Two of our youth workers, Teresa Bromilow and Robyn Andrews, attended a special celebration event for 150 guests aged from eight to 80 at the Alnwick Playhouse. They were joined by two young people supported by the projects run by the charity.  

Teresa explains, “It was wonderful not just to be recognised by the High Sheriff Awards, but also to be able to share that celebration with two of the young people from the Children North East community. To give them a chance to attend this type of event and meet inspiring people from across the region is very special.” 

Organisations recognised by the Awards receive £700 towards their work, which Children North East will use towards funding Forest School sessions in Northumberland and education youth work sessions in Tyne and Wear. 

Children North East have joined forces with award-winning local organisation Mortal Fools to reduce the number of North East children reaching mental health crises.

We’ll be working with 14 North East schools offering support via a new project called ‘Worrit Warriors’ specifically targeting children facing challenges with their mental health.

Starting this month, ‘Worrit Warriors’ will work with over 120 pupils aged 9 to 11, including those that have shared thoughts about suicide and self-harming to the adults in their lives.

Whilst these are often thought of as issues most common amongst teenagers, there has also been a significant rise in recent years in the treatment of pre-teen mental health disorders, with over 3,000 North East children hospitalised due to mental health conditions, self-harm and disordered eating every year; a number which is growing.

Children who struggle with their mental health at the crucial developmental age of 7 to 11 years are also more at risk of a mental health crisis before adulthood and developing long-term problems.

Adele Wimhurst, Counselling Team Manager at Children North East, explains, “Children are often overlooked as having an emotional life which is not very complicated, but the reality is that they are often dealing with ‘big’ feelings and experiences, as well as being very perceptive of those around them. Worrit Warriors offers a space for them, to voice how they are feeling and learn new, healthy ways of dealing with those ‘big’ feelings before they grow into something more difficult to manage”.

Funded by the NHS Integrated Care Board, the project represents an increased investment by the NHS in early interventions for children facing mental health challenges; partly a response to the impact of the

pandemic on young people’s wellbeing and the need for emotional development support for all children, not just the ones in crisis.

Delivered by mental health professionals and supported by creatives from Mortal Fools, children taking part in ‘Worrit Warriors’ will explore how they can look after their own mental health, grow their resilience, and learn coping techniques for dealing with challenging emotions and processing difficult experiences. It will promote the idea “Brave isn’t how you feel… it’s what you do”.

Leigh Elliott, Chief Executive of Children North East, shared, “The increase of mental health crises among North East children is a significant area of concern. Every young person has the right to grow up happy and healthy and with the early intervention the ‘Worrit Warriors’ project provides a pathway of support that overstretched schools and healthcare services are often unable to provide.”

The ‘Worrit Warriors’ project combines the award-winning ‘Melva’ Digital Programme, a creative mental health intervention, created by Mortal Fools with therapeutic practitioner support. The ‘Melva’ programme includes a feature film, digital game and creative resource toolbox, which provide an accessible, fun and dynamically structured approach to talking about and understanding negative thoughts, feelings and experiences. The ‘Melva’ Programme has a particular focus on our ‘worrits’ (worries), and children learn that bravery isn’t how you feel, it’s what you do – that it’s ok to feel worried, anxious, nervous sometimes. What’s important is knowing how to recognise and manage those thoughts and feelings.

Kiz Crosbie, Artistic Director and CEO of Mortal Fools, comments, “The Melva programme provides children and the adults in their lives a way to understand and have deep, life-changing conversations about worries and anxiety. Many adults want to help children but simply don’t know where to start or worry that they won’t do a good job with it. Melva is an accessible, guided programme to help them and makes talking about difficult things fun.”

Thanks to your incredible support, our Christmas appeal raised £29K to provide life-changing services.

Here at Children North East, we’re back from the festive break still blown away by the support we’ve seen over the Christmas period, with our Hope for Christmas Appeal raising over £29K! Every penny will help us provide life-changing support to babies, children, young people and their families in these difficult times.

It was wonderful to see so many individuals, businesses and groups get involved with our appeal in fun, festive and creative ways… including an animation competition, a carol service and beautiful bakes galore. Thank you to everyone who took part!

One of our favourite parts of the appeal was a poem written especially by local poet Scott Tyrrell: Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Toon, performed for us by our wonderful Patron Tim Healy.

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Toon

The bairns were hoping Santa’d come soon

Some kids wished for Jiggly Pets

Some bairns wanted Lego

Some parents just wanted a glass of bordeux

and enjoy the twinklies and the peace and quiet

before the next day’s unwrapping riot

Some kids lay awake, too excited to sleep

Some drifted away in dreams so deep

And some kids just wanted to know, that night

that everything was going to be alright

So from us to you, we wish all things bright

A Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

If you’re considering supporting our charity in 2023, we’ve already got some exciting events planned, including Great North Run places and our first-ever Milecastle Challenge a walking experience with a difference. Watch this space for more ways to get involved.

Children North East and People’s Postcode Lottery have launched a new film sharing the impact of funds raised by players of the lottery within local communities across the North East.

Featuring iconic Geordie actor, and Children North East Patron, Tim Healy, and People’s Postcode Lottery Ambassador, Judie McCourt, ‘Home Is Where Hope Is’ explores Tim’s childhood growing up in the West End of Newcastle. The film also highlights the impact of funding, raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and the positive impact it has had on those living in the area now.

The film emphasises the different ways the charity offers help and hope to children, young people and their families facing difficult experiences, often made harder by poverty.

With 38% of children in the North East growing up in poverty and many families facing the devastating impact of the cost-of-living crisis, access to the types of support highlighted in the film are more important than ever.

Tim, who has been a patron of the charity for more than 20 years, discussed with Judie, who also grew up in the North East, the vital difference the charity has had on his beloved Newcastle.

Whilst walking along his childhood street Tim comments: “Children North East is basically about care in the community. It looks after families in this area, and me being from here, it means a lot to me.”

Children North East exists to create life-changing differences for babies, children and young people in their families, schools and communities.

They work to ensure they grow up feeling safe, loved, and resilient to face whatever challenges may come their way.

Commenting on the release of the film, Tim said:

“It was a certainly a nostalgic experience heading back to the West End of Newcastle and exploring how it had changed. The work of Children North East on the same streets I grew up on is often a lifeline for young people and their families. I am so grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for raising funds for amazing charities like Children North East and for continuing to make sure the charities support is available to those that need it the most.”

Judie McCourt, ambassador at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The North East is home to me so to see the incredible impact that this funding is having on a local charity makes it even more special for me.

“Children North East make such a huge difference to so many lives across the North East and it was fantastic to join Tim and visit one of the areas that is impacted by funds raised by lottery players.”

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £3m in funding for Children North East for over the last 15 years. The funding continues to provide life-changing help across the North East each year.

David Bavaird, Chair of the Trustees at Children North East, comments, “The support from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery is transformative for our charity and the communities it serves. In the past three years players have raised funds that have not only supported life-changing services, like those seen in the film, but allowed us keep lifelines of support going during the pandemic against the odds. It is great to see their impact reflected in this new film.”

Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “This time of year can be particularly difficult for many people and this film

highlights that there are a lot of people who continue to face challenges every day of the year. To know that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support a charity like Children North East who are there to make things easier for families is really special.”

Learn more about the People’s Postcode Lottery on their website.

Children North East is delighted to announce that Poverty Proofing® Health Settings has been shortlisted for ‘Most Impactful Project Addressing Health Inequalities’ at the national HSJ Partnership Awards 2023, recognising their outstanding dedication to improving healthcare and effective collaboration with the NHS. The shortlisting is alongside long-term collaborators of the project Child Health and Wellbeing Network and North East and North Cumbria ICS.

The national healthcare sector has faced innumerable pressures over the past 12 months and this year the Awards seek to highlight the quality and impact of partnerships across the NHS in the face of challenges.

The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise and honour the most effective partnerships, innovative projects and collaborations in the UK health system. The prestigious award programme, now in its sixth year, is not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of our new integrated health and care system.

The judging panel comprised a diverse range of highly regarded figures across the NHS and wider healthcare sector. To be shortlisted as a finalist for these awards, despite tough competition from a pool of brilliant applications, is a mark of real achievement for Children North East. Poverty Proofing® Health Settings has been selected based on their diligence, ambition, and the positive impact that the project has had on both practitioners and patients within the healthcare industry.

Poverty Proofing® Healthcare is a community-consultation research model supporting healthcare settings to understand and mitigate the impact of poverty on engagement with and outcomes of healthcare. Unseen barriers to participation are identified through explorative conversations with individuals living in poverty and professionals, alongside an audit of processes and policies. Learnings inform recommendations and best practice shared with leaders and managers to enact change. Training is also delivered to staff, empowering them to integrate ‘Poverty Proofing’ into daily decision-making. 

The outcome is sustainable, systemic change that reduces health inequalities caused by poverty. 

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan comments: “We would like to congratulate Children North East on being nominated in the category of ‘Most Impactful Project Addressing Health Inequalities’ ahead of HSJ Partnership Awards 2023. We are looking forward to welcoming them to the ceremony in March, to join us in recognising the very best collaborations and innovations in the healthcare sector. This year’s finalists are of an outstanding calibre and all of them are exceptionally dedicated to enhancing healthcare across the UK.” 

The winners will be announced on 23 March 2023.

Today we are releasing our ‘Supporting Families in Time of Financial Hardship’ resource, co-produced with Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).  Francesca Hogg, from our Poverty Proofing the School Day team, tells us more about this fantastic resource.

As part of our work delivering UK Cost of the School Day with Child Poverty Action Group, today we are publishing ‘Supporting families in times of financial hardship: A short guide on what schools should know and what they can do to support struggling families’.

This resource comes at a time when families across the UK are facing increasing pressures on their family budgets and a squeeze on their income. The resource reflects the views of over 1,900 parents and carers gathered through interviews and surveys from 55 schools across England, Scotland and Wales. It is a reflection on what parents and carers have told us their schools do well to support them, but also their practical ideas and suggestions that schools should consider to help families through challenging economic times.

The guide covers four themes:

1.            Relieving rising costs and pressures

2.            Payment processes

3.            Communicating support

4.            Supporting all families

Many of the suggested actions are straightforward and cost-neutral. They simply encourage schools to think slightly differently about how money is talked about and handled to bring about greater inclusion for those struggling with money or living on a low income.

To find out more about investigating the school day from the perspective of children and young people, please contact our team on [email protected].

Read the full report here